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IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE for Judique’s Amy Cotton to get to a second Olympic Games after a broken foot cost her a chance to compete in Beijing in 2008.

That didn’t make Thursday’s outcome at London’s Excel Arena any kinder for the tenacious Caper.

The 32-year-old Cotton, the oldest competitor on the Canadian judo team, lost in her first match in the under-78 kg weight class to reigning world and European champion Audrey Tcheumeo of France.

She gave up a single point in the final minute of their five-minute match when Tcheumeo swept her off her feet and to the mats. There was no time for Cotton to rally.

There are second chances awarded in Olympic judo, but not until the quarter-finals.

“A couple of times she out-gripped me, but a couple of times I out-gripped her,” Cotton said after taking a few moments to compose herself.

“I felt very strong out there. I tried a couple of my moves, I was moving well and I wasn’t tired. And then, a split second.

“She put out her foot, but didn’t get it planted. It played into Tcheumeo’s signature move and she pounced for a Yuko.

“I thought I was turning enough, but I guess I didn’t turn enough to go over on my belly. So it ended up being a small point for her. With very little time left, it’s hard to come back.”

The Canadian took a penalty in the first two minutes for passivity, but her camp disputed the ruling. The Canadian team thought Cotton did just fine.

“We had to figure out tactically the best strategy,” said Canadian coach Nicolas Gill. “She (Tcheumeo) is physically very strong and very good with her feet, which is how she got Amy in the end. But Amy countered her strength for the first 4 minutes.”

Cotton, who lost in the round of 16 in Athens in 2004, knew she’d drawn the short straw against the 22-year-old Tcheumeo, seeded second in a field of 21 women. The best eight in the world as of May 1 were ranked and Cotton, 14th on that list, was thrust into the lottery with the rest of the unseeded athletes.

But she didn’t complain about her lot, just went about the business of trying to pull off an upset, built on the savvy accumulated in a long international career.

Cotton and Tcheumeo had some history prior to Thursday, but not in competition. The two spent time as training partners in Paris earlier this year.

“When I went out there I could see myself winning the fight,” Cotton said. “I could see myself going on to the next fight. This was my hardest fight of the day.

“But I felt strong and I really thought I could do it and I was going in there to win and I honestly felt I was going to.”

She had her parents in the crowd at Excel, which is hosting judo, boxing and weightlifting, among others. She was delighted to be back in the Olympics, though the silver linings on Thursday were hard to spot.

“I’m happy to be here, but I fought eight long years to come back and then went out in the first round. So it’s heartbreaking for me.”

She was appreciative of all the support she’d received from Nova Scotia in the days prior to her competition.

“I thank everybody for all the support from back home; it meant so much to me. I hope I made everybody proud.”

Cotton, who has resided in Montreal since 1999, believes she has fought her final match in the Olympics, but is not ready to retire. Despite ongoing physical issues related to her juvenile arthritis, she is considering a run toward the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

“There are still a couple more competitions out there for me,” she said. “I fought so strong here and I felt good on the mats. It’s the luck of the draw to fight the world champion in the first fight. It was so discouraging. But I fought well. And I gave 100 per cent, gave everything I had out there, and that’s all I can ask for.”